The music of Ceddrick Newsome, aka Cedd the Light, reflects his many loves: of Kansas City, of life, and of music itself. A songwriter since the age of sixteen, Cedd's musical connection with Kansas City runs deep and he performs often in and around the city. We are fortunate to share an interview with the artist himself and introduce you to his music and book recommendations. Enjoy!
*
Introduce yourself. Where do you live and work?
Hello, my name is Ceddrick Newsome aka Cedd the Light. I live downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and I'm a self-employed musician, singer, songwriter.
On your website you state that you’ve been writing songs since age 12. What were those earliest songs about? Did you also perform those songs in public?
I've been writing songs since I was 16 years old and a lot of those songs were love songs and inspirational . I started playing the piano when I was 12 and singing since I was 9 years old. I've performed publicly basically all my life.
Talk about how your songwriting process has changed over time. How do you record your music?
When I first started writing I was writing R&B music. Then I started moving into other genres using different styles which in turn created a crossover style. What cross-over means is using every style of music to perform and relay your feelings to yourself and the world. I record my music right in my own home using Garage Band now I've moved to Logic Pro, a program inside of Apple.
How does the music you love influence your songwriting? What are you currently raving about?
The music I love is all styles of music and it influences me to write openly and freely, shows me not to be boxed in and to relate to people on all levels no matter ethnic background or religious background. I believe I meet people right where they're at. And I'm always raving about positivity and motivation and inspiring people to not give up and keep moving forward.
What makes Kansas City a great place for music?
What makes Kansas City great for music is the diverse city that Kansas City is. We are in the Midwest, we are in the heart of the United States and I believe we come from the heart when we express our music. We have a wide variety of artists who are gifted and talented and it stems from being in the heart.
Ceddrick's book recommendations:
Wisdom of the Mystic Masters by Joseph J Weed
Egyptian Yoga by Muata Ashby
The Business of the 21st Century by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money-- That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Pro-sumer Power!: How to Create Wealth by Buying Smarter, Not Cheaper! by Bill Quain